Sightseeing in Stockholm

A random street that caught my eye.

We explored Stockholm in our usual fashion – many miles walked with only loose objectives and a strong desire to turn down that next unknown and intriguing street. All peppered with many café stops. Contrary to our normal practice, we also found ourselves in a few museums after we figured out that we enjoy those with a history focus. It’s art museums that aren’t really our thing. Apparently we need a story, not just pictures. 

ABBA the Museum.

I love ABBA’s music but in our home office when I play their songs it triggers a fair amount of whining from my coworker. So I’m still surprised that AD told me about the museum. I believe he brought it up as a joke. His mistake. I knew almost nothing about the band but learned that they have a beautiful story of two couples that pursued what they loved, and created some excellent music for the rest of us in the process. And despite AD’s reticence, he had a blast. Look at him sing Dancing Queen!

Because I like my blog readers, I have not included a video/audio version. The same goes for my version of the tune.

Fotografiska.  OK, OK. A photography museum is more art than history, but I make exceptions for photography.  Most of the pieces aren’t exactly ones I would hang in my home, but the exhibitions were interesting. They told a story. If nothing else, the visit was worthwhile for the view over the water from the café on the top floor. (Café stop No. 438 of the day.)

The Vasa. Talk about a work fail, back in the early 1600s, shipbuilders created the massive ship Vasa, which sank on its maiden voyage when it encountered the second gust of wind in its sailing life. The base of the boat wasn’t wide enough to hold sufficient ballast to keep it from tipping, and the cannon holes were too low so when it tipped, it filled. Whoopsie.  It stayed at the bottom of the ocean for 333 years before someone found it and raised it IN ONE PIECE. The boat we saw in the museum is 98% original, which boggles the mind. (Kudos to the museum for clear indication of what was not original.)  Not to mention the fact that the ship was raised in the mid 1900s so divers wore those cumbersome suits with the big ball shaped helmets – not exactly modern equipment and comforts.  Malaysian Airlines should maybe considering reaching out to this salvage company…

It’s a lot bigger than it looks in the photo. The museum has eight floors of viewing platforms to permit visitors to see it top (not counting the masts – the top two-thirds of the masts aren’t attached because they won’t fit in the building) to bottom.